Auger and blade therefor useable to move materials such as snow and the like

ABSTRACT

A snow blower is provided with blades which can be cold formed to produce stiff and inflexible blades, each blade being approximately triangularly fan shaped and having an inner apex portion which defines a large internal angle ranging in degrees around a small obtuse angle. Two blades can be used to produce a flight and this involves two weldments to a shaft and one weldment of adjacent blade tips. The blades are similar and can be stored in nested stacks prior to manufacturing an auger; and, can be reversed in a flight or reversed to produce a flight of a different hand.

United States Patent 1' 1 Ruhl 1 Oct. 21, 1975 1 1 AUGER AND BLADE THEREFOR USEABLE TO MOVE MATERIALS SUCH AS SNOW AND THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Waller Franklin Ruhl, (ireenville.

[211 Appl. N01: 460.458

[52] US. Cl. 37/43 E; 37/43 R; 198/213;

198/216 [51] Int. C1. E0111 5/09; 8656 33/311; 1365C 33/00 [58] Field of Search 37/43 R. 43 E. 43 G, 24.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 106,627 8/1870 Skelly .1 198/213 X 234.868 11/1880 Hawkins 198/213 673.468 5/1901 Coue 416/176 847,961 3/1907 De La Mar .1 198/213 X 1,404,692 1/1922 Cieisl 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 .1 198/216 1,662,832 3/1928 Nelson et a1 198/213 X 2.145.882 2/1939 Lathrop 1 1 1 1 1 1. 198/213 2,253,945 8/1941 Starrett 198/213 X Vanvick 37/43 E 2,679,201) 5/1954 Johnson et a1 1 1 172/532 2.735.199 2/1956 Wanner et a1. 198/217 X 2.760.255 8/1956 Compton 1 1 1 1 1 1 198/213 X 3.213.552 10/1965 Vanviek 198/213 X 3.226.855 1/1966 Smith 1. 37/81 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 1.104,199 2/1968 United Kingdom 198/213 Primary ExaminerEdgar S. Burr Assistan! Examiner5teven A1 Bratlie Attorney, Agent, or Firm'Richard G. Wynne [57] ABSTRACT A snow blower is provided with blades which can be cold formed to produce stiff and inflexible blades, each blade being approximately triangularly fan shaped and having an inner apex portion which defines a large internal angle ranging in degrees around a small obtuse angle. Two blades can be used to produce a flight and this involves two weldments to a shaft and one weldment of adjacent blade tips. The blades are similar and can be stored in nested stacks prior to manufacturing an auger; and. can be reversed in a flight or reversed to produce a flight of a different hand.

13 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct.21, 1975 Sheet10f4 3,913,247

Sheet 2 of 4 3,913,247

US. Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 3 of 4 3,913,247

U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 U.S. Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,913,247

FIG. 10

FIG. 11

AUGER AND BLADE THEREFOR USEABLE TO MOVE MATERIALS SUCH AS SNOW AND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, augers for snow blowers and material movers, and the like involved severe production problems of the many parts which were required for manufacturing flights of varying pitch as well as right and left hand flights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a somewhat triangular (or one-half bow tie or fan-like) shaped auger blade which when connected to a second such blade at an adjoining outer apex and when their inner apexes are connected to a shaft at longitudinally and angularly spaced positions, produce an integrated auger of unexpected structural strength. The three connections are preferably weldments. The two inner and angularly and longitudinally disposed shaft weldments and the single outer blade-to-blade weldment facilitate production. Pitch adjustment of the flight is accomplished by changing the pitch of each blade on welding to the shaft.

Significant is the fact that the single blade of the invention may be employed to fabricate a left hand, as well as a right hand flight, in that the blade is uniquely designed to allow reversal to a mirror image position for mounting on the shaft to produce a converging angle between the opposed flights. Also, the blades in the left or right hand flight may be reversed with respect to each other.

The blade is formed to assist in the movement of snow by producing aeration and cutting, especially at the inner annular zone of an auger flight where clogging of snow and ice can take place. Intermediate annular portions of the blade are cut, preferably radially, at two locations, and then the three resultant radial webs are bellied in alterate opposite directions to produce internal cutting edges and snow areation openings. This causes the snow and ice to be conditioned for ease of flow to the outer periphery of the auger for projected discharge through a chute at the center of the auger housing. Discharge at the end of the housing may also be accomplished with suitable changes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a dual stage blower with right and left hand auger flights, a central impeller and a discharge chute;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the auger, impeller and chute of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a single stage blower which utilizes paddles 25 to propel the snow through the chute;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a central discharge auger equipped with two right hand and two left hand flights; the auger drive gear is also shown;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the blade-to-blade weldment showing the formation of a tooth;

FIG. 6 is a top view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a formed blade as seen from the right side of the blower (left side of FIG. 4) with a representation of a shaft segment to show the shaft weldment;

FIG. 8 is a top view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view arranged to show the intricate straight and curved surfaces of the blade and also the shaft weldment;

FIG. 10 is an end view of the discharge impeller;

FIG. 11 is a side view of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the single stage blower of FIG. 3 with paddle 25, a discharge chute safety guard 38 and a central overthrow baffle 88 fixed to housing I7 which (not shown) can also extend the full length of housing I7.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The snow blower or thrower (FIG. 1) includes a handle, wheel and frame structure 15, engine 16, auger housing 17, drift scoop l8 butt or piano hinged to housing 17 and its operating rod 22, left and right hand auger 19 including shaft (tube) 59, discharge impeller 20 and discharge chute 21. Housing 17 has right end wall 28 and left end wall 29 between which the auger 19 extends and is journaled.

Appropiate numerals have been applied to FIG. 2, the dual stage blower.

Similarly, with FIG. 3, which shows the single stage blower which handles the lighter loads and wherein the discharge impeller 20 is replaced by the two paddles 25 which interconnect the four opposed auger flights at their two points of closest central positioning. FIG. 12 shows one paddle as having leg 26 which extends substantially radially and an annularly turned inner right angle brace 27, both of which are welded to the opposed blade edge tips.

Drift scoop 18 (FIG. I) is shown swung on hinge 31 to up position for increasing the bite of the snow blower and for preventing rearward overflow. Control rod 22, which is pivoted to scoop I8 and extends back to the right handle, swings scoop 18 to a down position where it knocks down snow which might be thrown forwardly out of the housing. Note that overthrow baffle 88 extends forwardly and substantially horizontally from the top of the housing to prevent overflow, particularly at the central portion.

Discharge chute 21 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) includes an inlet box 35, an outlet 36, and a top director 37 which, with outlet 36, swivels to various discharge positions. Discharge impeller 20 is housed in inlet box 35. Safety guard 38 (FIG. 12) is mounted at the throat of the discharge opening or mouth to protect a user from inadvertent injury.

BLADE The key element of the invention is the blade (FIGS. 4-9) which is cold formed from sheet metal, preferably No. 12 gauge. Cold forming No. 12 gauge sheet metal produces a stiff inflexible blade 50, a blade which is unyielding, rigid and unbending.

Somewhat triangular in shape or one-half of a bow tie or fan-like is its outline. Undulatory webs 51, 52 and 53 extend radially outwardly from their inner apexes, preferably three in number. the two side webs 51 and 53 are identical and terminate in flat sided toothed portions 54 and 55. The central web 52 terminates in a smooth arcuate edge 56 of a predetermined radius which is operatively coordinated with the radius of the housing 17. The side tooth portions 54 and have the same peripheral radius as the edge 56.

The annular inner apex portion 57 is flat and has an arcuate cutout at its apex of a radius larger than the auger shaft 59 so that it can be welded within a predetermined range of angles normal to the axis of the shaft 59, across the shaft, to enable production of a range of flight pitches which in turn facilitates the production of augers of differing lengths without blade dimensional change.

The slits 60, preferably radial, are formed during the punching step which cuts a number of blades from a sheet of material. While merely cutting would suffice, a removal of an elongated portion of metal with rounded ends is preferred to save tools, the rounded edge on the blade preventing fracture.

Each side web 51 and 53 may be viewed as including a flat base 62, an intermediate bellied part 63 and a toothed portion 54 and 55, respectively. Each toothed portion 54 and 55 includes a somewhat flat inner trapezoidal sector and an outer flat triangular sector 41 on which the teeth groups are formed.

The central web 52 may be viewed as including a flat base 65, an intermediate portion 66 bellied in a direc tion opposite to that of the side webs 51 and 53, and an outer arcuate portion 67 bellied at its arcuate central portion in an opposite direction and 90 to that of its intermediate portion 66. This central portion bellying is accomplished about a 3 inch radius normal to the face or surface of the arcuate portion 67.

AUGER The snow auger of FIG. 4 can be fabricated by conventional fixturing and welding methods.

A blade is placed on the shaft 59 at a predeter' mined angle such that its periphery is at a constant radius with respect to the shaft, thus insuring full cylindrical-like conveyance of snow or other material.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the formation of a two-ply tooth 70 when the flat toothed portions 54 and are welded together in face-to-face relationship, preferably at the triangular sectors 41.

It will be noted that the attitude of the blades 50 in the left hand flight, for example, are the same in FIGS. 1 and 12; while in FIG. 4, the attitude of the blades in the left hand flight is not the same but reversed. This attitude applies also to the right hand flights as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12 and FIG. 4.

The irregular surfaces of the blades pennits the fabri cation of auger flights with less restrictive pitch limita tions or lead angles than that of the conventional auger flights. Depending on the width or swath of the path of the snow blower, the length of the auger shaft will vary and thus the number of blades 50 used will vary along with the mounting angle on the shaft required for equal spacing of the blades. It is also possible to stagger one flight of two (or more) blades along the shaft with respect to a second such flight to provide extra width coverage with the same number of blades.

The slots and 61 and the undulatory formation of the blade 50 provides two arcuate cutting edges, one being the leading edge 72 of the central web 52 and the other being the leading edge 74 of the trailing side web 53. A lead opening 75 and trailing opening 76 (FIG. 4) are formed by the bellied webs for areation of snow and the like.

The front or leading undulatory radial edge 77 provides a third cutting edge.

The teeth of the tooth portions 54 and 55 of the leading and trailing apex portions of the blade provide further cutting edges. And the arcuate edge 56 also cuts.

As seen in FIG. 9, the outer annular portion 67 and the toothed portions 54 and 55 are in a sense an annular ring which is offset from the flat inner annular apex portion 57, this offset being about 1% or A inches offset in a blade having a true formed radius of about 8 inches. The leading edge 77 and trailing edge 78 extend on radial lines from the inner apex and define an internal angle of about with the slots 60 and 61 defining an internal angle of about 60. The 105 angle of the inner apex portion 57 is an obtuse angle since it exceeds 90 but is less than the outer angles (chordal) of the leading and trailing apex portions are acute angles of about 37% each. The large internal angle of of the inner apex portion ranges in size around a small obtuse angle.

The bellied parts 63, 66 and 63 of the webs are formed on about a 3-inch radius normal to the blade. In good part, the drawings submitted herewith are full size of a blade in use today, with respect to blade FIGS. 7-9. It is noted that the drawings are reduced in size when printed as part of the issued patent.

Discharge impeller 20 (FIGS. 10 and 11) includes a base or back plate 85 and three impeller arms 86 mounted radially thereon and welded to the hub 87 and back plate 85.

It will therefore be recognised that the use of one unique common part, the triangular blade 50, to replace the use of auger flights and struts of both left and right hand design facilitates production. The single blade 50 replaces four other components normally found today in standard auger assemblies. In fact applicant's assignee has reduced the 10 parts needed for three different augers to one part, blade 50.

The single blade design requires less shipping expense and less storage space since it is stackable and compact. It requires less handling and greatly simplifies inventory record keeping.

The blade design tends to produce a self cleaning unit; the openings prevent overloading of the prime mover.

Cold forming of the triangular flat blank results in great strength and adds to the dimensional thickness of the blade.

The method of slot and form is preferred over a lance and form method as it prolongs tool or die life and minimizes unnecessary knife edges on the finished blade. The slots are about 4 inches long.

Points of further interest:

1. To facilitate welding of one section to another, the tooth apex portions are radius formed.

2. To add strength to the outer edge of the blade and to gain additional agitation or uneven movement of the snow and ice, an approximate 20-inch radius is formed into the center area of the outer perimeter. This form is opposite to the end forms of the perimeter of the blade.

3. The V" formed when two blade are welded together and to the auger tube produces an extremely strong weldment.

The housing 17 has an open bottom and open front.

Therefore, it will be understood that a blade 50 has been provided which, when combined with another such blade 50 and a tube 59, presents a three point connectible unit to provide a strong and integrated structure in the form of an auger. The blades can be used for left or right hand flights. While economics may dictate the production of purely identical blades, it will be understood that, subject to the three connection points and reversibility, two production lines could be employed to produce similar and not technically pure identical blades. The word similar" as used herein is intended to include the word identical, the highest tribute to similarity. Variations may occur, for example, in the slits 60 which may be formed by merely cutting without material removal or may be made by punching to remove a portion of metal. in either event, the resultant slits 60 will enable the forming of the blade into its undulatory form.

I claim:

1. A snow or material blower comprising:

a housing having an open bottom and open front;

a rotatable shaft mounted on said housing; and

an auger flight mounted on said shaft;

said auger flight including at least one leading blade and one trailing blade, each blade being stiff and inflexible, each blade being approximatetly triangularly fan shaped and having leading, trailing and inner apex portions, said inner apex portions being directly attached to said shaft, the blade edges between said leading and trailing apex portions which extend to said inner apex portion forming a small obtuse angle, and the outer trailing apex portion of a leading blade being directly attached to an adjacent outer leading apex portion of a trailing blade to form a helical flight, the blades being similar in size and form, the inner apex portions being directly attached at predetermined spaced positions along and around the shaft conforming to a predetermined transverse angular disposition of the blades with respect to the shaft, the outer connection of the outer apex portions being therebetween with respect to the shaft and forming therewith an integrated structural unit.

2. A blade adapted for mounting on a shaft to produce an auger for moving snow and the like,

the blade being formed from sheet material and being reversible to a mirror image position to enable production of right and left hand augers,

the blade is approximately triangularly fan shaped with an inner apex portion, an outer leading apex portion and an outer trailing apex portion; said inner apex portion being connectible to the shaft at an angle for the production of an auger flight, said outer trailing apex portion being connectible to a similar blade at such blade's outer apex portion, said inner portion being flat, the blade having an intermediate central portion having substantially radially extending webs which belly alternately in opposite directions to form material flow openings through the central portion, and an outer portion having an arcuate outer edge with outwardly extending teeth groups at said leading and trailing apex portions and a smooth edge section therebetween, said outer portion being laterally offset from said flat inner apex portion.

3. A blade as defined in claim 2, and wherein said smooth edge section is slightly laterally bowed and said teeth groups extend slightly laterally in the opposite direction.

4. An auger adapted for moving material comprising:

a rotatable shaft; and

an auger flight mounted thereon;

said auger flight including at least one leading blade and one trailing blade, each blade being approximately triangularly fan shaped and having an inner apex portion, an outer leading apex portion and an outer trailing apex portion, said inner apex portion being directly attached to said shaft, and the outer trailing apex portion of a leading blade being directly attached to an adjacent outer leading apex portion of a trailing blade to form a helical flight, the blades being similar in size and form, the inner apex portions being directly attached at predetermined spaced positions along and around the shaft conforming to a predetermined transverse angular disposition of the blades with respect to the shaft, the outer attachment of the outer apex portions being therebetween with respect to the shaft and forming therewith an integrated unit;

said inner apex portion having an arcuate cutout end with a curvature larger than the circumferential curvature of said shaft, said end being welded to the shaft, and the outer trailing apex portion of said leading blade and the outer leading apex portion of said trailing blade being in overlapped condition and welded together.

5. An auger as defined in claim 4, and wherein said inner apex portion is flat, and the blade has an intermediate central portion having substantially radial slits which divide the central portion into substantially radially extending webs which belly alternately in opposite directions to form material flow openings through the central portion, and an outer portion having an arcuate outer edge with outwardly extending teeth groups at said leading and trailing apex portions and a smooth edge section therebetween, said outer portion being laterally offset from said flat inner apex portion, said smooth edge section being slightly laterally bowed and said teeth groups extending slightly laterally in the opposite direction.

6. An auger as defined in claim 4 and wherein said arcuate cutout end is of sufficient size to enable welding the blade to the shaft at different predetermined angles to provide different predetermined pitches to the helical flight.

7. An auger as defined in claim 4, and wherein similar blades are mounted in a reverse manner on said shaft with the blades being in effect a mirror image of the other set of blades and mounted on the shaft at a converging angle therewith to form an opposed hand auger flight, the flights being left and right hand and capable of moving material to a common intermediate location with respect to the shaft.

8. An auger as defined in claim 4, and including a second auger flight of the same hand and mounted on the shaft such that the blades thereof are connected to the shaft at transversely opposed positions to their counterparts of the other auger flight.

9. An auger adapted for moving material comprising:

a rotatable shaft; and

an auger flight mounted thereon;

said auger flight including at least one leading blade and one trailing blade, each blade being stiff and inflexible, each blade being approximately triangularly fan shaped and having leading, trailing and inner apex portions, each said inner apex portion being directly attached to said shaft, the blade edges between said leading and trailing apex portions which extend to said inner apex portion forming a small obtuse angle, and the outer trailing apex portion of a leading blade being directly attached to an adjacent outer leading apex portion of a trailing blade to form a helical flight, the blades being similar in size and form, the inner apex portions being directly attached at predetermined spaced positions along and around the shaft conforming to a predetermined transverse angular disposition of the blades with respect to the shaft, the outer connection of the apex portions being therebetween with respect to the shaft and forming therewith an integrated structural unit.

10. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein said outer trailing apex portion and said outer leading apex portion are in overlapped condition and welded together, and said small obtuse angle is about 105.

11. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein one of the blades is mounted in a reverse manner on said shaft, the blades being in effect a mirror image of each other.

[2. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein each blade has a central portion having substantially radial slits which divide the central portion into substantially radially extending webs which belly alternately in opposite directions to form material flow openings through the central portion.

13. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein similar blades are mounted in a reverse manner on said shaft with the blades being in effect a mirror image of the other set of blades and mounted on the shaft at a converging angle therewith to form an opposed hand auger flight, the flights being left and right hand and capable of moving material to a common intermediate location with respect to the shaft. 

1. A snow or material blower comprising: a housing having an open bottom and open front; a rotatable shaft mounted on said housing; and an auger flight mounted on said shaft; said auger flight including at least one leading blade and one trailing blade, each blade being stiff and inflexible, each blade being approximatetly triangularly fan shaped and having leading, trailing and inner apex portions, said inner apex portions being directly attached to said shaft, the blade edges between said leading and trailing apex portions which extend to said inner apex portion forming a small obtuse angle, and the outer trailing apex portion of a leading blade being directly attached to an adjacent outer leading apex portion of a trailing blade to form a helical flight, the blades being simiLar in size and form, the inner apex portions being directly attached at predetermined spaced positions along and around the shaft conforming to a predetermined transverse angular disposition of the blades with respect to the shaft, the outer connection of the outer apex portions being therebetween with respect to the shaft and forming therewith an integrated structural unit.
 2. A blade adapted for mounting on a shaft to produce an auger for moving snow and the like, the blade being formed from sheet material and being reversible to a mirror image position to enable production of right and left hand augers, the blade is approximately triangularly fan shaped with an inner apex portion, an outer leading apex portion and an outer trailing apex portion; said inner apex portion being connectible to the shaft at an angle for the production of an auger flight, said outer trailing apex portion being connectible to a similar blade at such blade''s outer apex portion, said inner portion being flat, the blade having an intermediate central portion having substantially radially extending webs which belly alternately in opposite directions to form material flow openings through the central portion, and an outer portion having an arcuate outer edge with outwardly extending teeth groups at said leading and trailing apex portions and a smooth edge section therebetween, said outer portion being laterally offset from said flat inner apex portion.
 3. A blade as defined in claim 2, and wherein said smooth edge section is slightly laterally bowed and said teeth groups extend slightly laterally in the opposite direction.
 4. An auger adapted for moving material comprising: a rotatable shaft; and an auger flight mounted thereon; said auger flight including at least one leading blade and one trailing blade, each blade being approximately triangularly fan shaped and having an inner apex portion, an outer leading apex portion and an outer trailing apex portion, said inner apex portion being directly attached to said shaft, and the outer trailing apex portion of a leading blade being directly attached to an adjacent outer leading apex portion of a trailing blade to form a helical flight, the blades being similar in size and form, the inner apex portions being directly attached at predetermined spaced positions along and around the shaft conforming to a predetermined transverse angular disposition of the blades with respect to the shaft, the outer attachment of the outer apex portions being therebetween with respect to the shaft and forming therewith an integrated unit; said inner apex portion having an arcuate cutout end with a curvature larger than the circumferential curvature of said shaft, said end being welded to the shaft, and the outer trailing apex portion of said leading blade and the outer leading apex portion of said trailing blade being in overlapped condition and welded together.
 5. An auger as defined in claim 4, and wherein said inner apex portion is flat, and the blade has an intermediate central portion having substantially radial slits which divide the central portion into substantially radially extending webs which belly alternately in opposite directions to form material flow openings through the central portion, and an outer portion having an arcuate outer edge with outwardly extending teeth groups at said leading and trailing apex portions and a smooth edge section therebetween, said outer portion being laterally offset from said flat inner apex portion, said smooth edge section being slightly laterally bowed and said teeth groups extending slightly laterally in the opposite direction.
 6. An auger as defined in claim 4 and wherein said arcuate cutout end is of sufficient size to enable welding the blade to the shaft at different predetermined angles to provide different predetermined pitches to the helical flight.
 7. An auger as defined in claim 4, and wherein similar blades are mounted in a reverse manner on said shaft with the blaDes being in effect a mirror image of the other set of blades and mounted on the shaft at a converging angle therewith to form an opposed hand auger flight, the flights being left and right hand and capable of moving material to a common intermediate location with respect to the shaft.
 8. An auger as defined in claim 4, and including a second auger flight of the same hand and mounted on the shaft such that the blades thereof are connected to the shaft at transversely opposed positions to their counterparts of the other auger flight.
 9. An auger adapted for moving material comprising: a rotatable shaft; and an auger flight mounted thereon; said auger flight including at least one leading blade and one trailing blade, each blade being stiff and inflexible, each blade being approximately triangularly fan shaped and having leading, trailing and inner apex portions, each said inner apex portion being directly attached to said shaft, the blade edges between said leading and trailing apex portions which extend to said inner apex portion forming a small obtuse angle, and the outer trailing apex portion of a leading blade being directly attached to an adjacent outer leading apex portion of a trailing blade to form a helical flight, the blades being similar in size and form, the inner apex portions being directly attached at predetermined spaced positions along and around the shaft conforming to a predetermined transverse angular disposition of the blades with respect to the shaft, the outer connection of the apex portions being therebetween with respect to the shaft and forming therewith an integrated structural unit.
 10. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein said outer trailing apex portion and said outer leading apex portion are in overlapped condition and welded together, and said small obtuse angle is about 105*.
 11. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein one of the blades is mounted in a reverse manner on said shaft, the blades being in effect a mirror image of each other.
 12. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein each blade has a central portion having substantially radial slits which divide the central portion into substantially radially extending webs which belly alternately in opposite directions to form material flow openings through the central portion.
 13. An auger as defined in claim 9, and wherein similar blades are mounted in a reverse manner on said shaft with the blades being in effect a mirror image of the other set of blades and mounted on the shaft at a converging angle therewith to form an opposed hand auger flight, the flights being left and right hand and capable of moving material to a common intermediate location with respect to the shaft. 